Future Fuinn Fabrudson
by TheBetterPoison
Summary: A spin-off to my fanfic "Flash Forward". This Fuinn/Fabrudson fic was a request by a friend of mine. Sorry for any errors. Please enjoy & leave reviews! I'll gradually add drabble-like chapters over time.
1. Chapter 1

_**October, 2022**_

The real estate market was indeed doing well, and it showed through the beautiful estate Quinn and Finn now lived in: an impressive two-story split-level home with a brick face and chimney and white trimming. The front yard boasted a sizable patch of green grass with a maple tree, and a brick-lain path from the front steps to the driveway. The engaged couple had recently moved in and had a minimal number of boxes left to unpack. Much of their delay in finishing had to do with Quinn finding out she was expecting. Now seven months along, her priority, along with Finn's, had been preparing for their baby. During the week—and sometimes on the weekend for Quinn—they worked, and in their free time they prepared a nursery for the arrival of their little girl.

Over the weekend, Finn and Quinn had the days off from their jobs. Finn—now a coach for the Lake View High School glee club in Chicago—had a Saturday morning practice with the community's pee wee football team that he coached. Meanwhile, Quinn was at their home with an off-season cold. She felt it coming on Friday morning and it quickly worsened as the day turned to night. Late in the night, she woke Finn out of a dead sleep, demanding that he sleep in their guest room.

"What? Why?" Finn groggily asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Because," Quinn pressed, "I don't want to get you sick too. We can't both get sick and try to take care of each other, now go."

"But—"

"_Finn_!" She sniffled but kept her face stern. The moment her eyes narrowed, Finn knew he was going to lose the short-lived argument. There was no point in arguing with his sick, hormonal fiancée. His shoulders and expression fell in defeat as he rolled out of the warm, comfortable California King; clad only in boxers and a wife beater, he loped sleepily from the room.

Unfortunately for Quinn, she hadn't slept much through the night. Between the congestion in her nose, the kicking in her belly and the irrational tears for missing her future husband being beside her, she hadn't gone back to sleep until the sun peeked through the bedroom window. She slept through Finn's return to the bedroom for a shower and fresh clothes, and she slept through his quiet departure from their home.

A loyal coach, Finn maintained his hour-long practice with his pee wee team. He warmed up with them and then taught them a new play that they would eventually execute in their first game of the season. After the practice ended and his kids' parents arrived to claim their children, the tall brunette gathered up his things and hastily got into his Jeep. Almost the entire time that he was away from the house, his thoughts were on Quinn; while he hadn't caused her abrupt illness, he felt awful that she became sick right now of all times. He wanted to do something nice for her to cheer her up, but no ideas immediately came to him.

Stopped at a traffic light, Finn glanced at the cluster of small shops and restaurants to his right. Squeezed in between a Subway and a Payless was a moniker that read: Paula's Flowers. It switched on the light bulb in Finn's mind, and before he could miss the shopping center's entrance, he turned right into it. After parking and entering the flower shop, Finn was bombarded with the blended aroma of various types of flowers. The distinct smell had him glancing about the room as if his eyes were chasing after the source of the smell.

"Hi there! Welcome to Paula's Flowers!" said a perky red-head. She looked significantly older than Finn and, like most people, she was noticeably shorter than him. Her hands were on her hips but her smile seemed friendly.

"Uhh, hi!" spoke Finn with an awkward wave of his hand. "Yeah, I wanted to get some flowers that say 'Get Well Soon'."

"Who are the flowers for?" asked the red-headed florist.

Finn raised his brows but cast a crooked, boyish smile, "They're for my fiancée. She's sick and pregnant so I wanna get her something special. Cheer her up, y'know?"

The florist smiled in awe at Finn, "That's so sweet! She's got herself a great guy." After winking to him, she turned her back and gestured to an array of pre-arranged bouquets displayed in a panel of refrigerators behind her register. "Well we've got Calla Lilies, Tiger Lilies, Daisies, Tulips, Morning Glory, Hydrangeas, Carnations, and of course you can't go wrong with roses."

Both of Finn's brows were raised at the overwhelming options for him to choose from. He rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully, "Uh…okay I know she hates carnations—they look cheap to her. Um…you're right about roses but I want this to be special, so…how about the Tiger Lilies?"

"Sure!" beamed the florist. She turned her back to Finn again and pulled open the door that enclosed the Tiger Lilies. After gathering up one dozen, she walked down to the furthest fridge door, opened it and pulled out some cotton-colored tendrils to accent the bold orange flowers. Her hands expertly bound the flowers in cellophane, and then she reached up to a beam above her where a series of ribbon spools hung. Her hand paused as she was about to make the selection for herself, but she took one long look at Finn, smiled again and asked, "She likes pink, doesn't she?"

The corners of his eyes crinkled, and the corners of his lips curled up again. "Yeah…she does—how did you know that?"

With a tug of the pale pink spool and a friendly smile, she said, "Lucky guess."

* * *

Finn returned to the house, half-expecting Quinn to still be shuffling about the house despite being ill. However, the house was silent, save the grandfather clock in the dining room. It _tick-tick-tick_ed away as the short golden pendulum swung from behind the glass. The cellophane scrunched in his hands, "Quinn?" he called. He loped in the kitchen and sure enough, it was empty. He double-checked the downstairs guest room although he was doubtful she would be in there to begin with.

Finally, he took to the stairs to check their daughter's room. The nursery held plenty within its pink walls—an oak crib, a matching dresser, a changing table and a glider, but no Quinn.

With growing concern, Finn entered the master bedroom he and Quinn shared. To his slight relief, he spotted his future wife, but was slightly saddened to see her still asleep—her head turned into a pillow while one hand rested over her bump.

"Man, she must really be sick," he breathed to himself. The tall brunette stepped further into the room but as he did, his eyes never left Quinn's slumbering face. He gazed over the golden blonde mess around her head that now resembled lion's mane. Her face looked tense, and yet her gently tanned skin was smooth, flawless. Her long dark lashes kissed the top of her flushed cheeks as she breathed faint, adorable snores onto his half of the bed.

For a moment, he recalled a night when he told Quinn that she snored. She denied it completely and got upset with him for saying so, but after he told her that he thought it was cute, she blushed and turned her face away to hide a tiny smile from him—or so she thought she'd hid it.

Coming around to his half of the bed, Finn set the flowers down on his nightstand as quietly as he could, pulled his shoes off and climbed into the bed beside his fiancée. Now lying face to face with his slumbering love, Finn brushed a few rebellious strands of hair from her face and kissed her warm forehead. Quinn stirred lightly but hadn't woken up; he left one hand rested above her head while the other joined hers on her rounded stomach. It was times like these where he would privately reflect on his life.

If he were to think back to his later years in high school and what he thought life would be like for him now, they were nothing like what it turned out to be. He assumed his life was going to be with Rachel, but it obviously was not meant to be. One thing he had come to realize later in life, was that back in high school, Quinn was trying to get him to grow up. Back then, he couldn't see that because of…well a multitude of reasons. But now, he had grown up; he had become a lot wiser now than the days where he wanted to name his child Drizzle or put his dreams on the back burner for someone else. He loved what he was doing with his life, and he loved that Quinn was beside him, supporting him in his endeavors to inspire kids through some of the roughest times of their life. He'd forever be thankful to Mr. Schue for having that influence on him, but it was Quinn's steadfast support, following his divorce from Rachel, that really gave him the backbone to pursue true happiness.

_He didn't know where else to turn. At the time of his divorce—nearly four years prior—his stepbrother's close friendship with the Broadway star left Finn with few options on who to talk to. Puck was off in the army; Mike had become a new dad and was only half coherent when he'd try calling him. He wasn't assumed Mercedes to be in the same boat as Kurt, and Sam apologized for having next-to-no experience with divorces when he called them. Neither Santana nor Brittany had ever cared much for Rachel and he wasn't in the mood for "I told you so"s from either one of them. His stepdad, Burt and his mother tried to offer some helpful words, but when it came down to it, there wasn't much to say. He was out of New York and back in Ohio with no job, no spouse and no other commitments. And then one fateful trip to the old Lima Bean granted him a reconnection with Quinn Fabray—Yale graduate and real estate intern for an agent, he would later discover was Mercedes' mother. _

_What was intended to be a quick "hi-and-bye" encounter, ended up becoming a chat that lasted hours long. Most of the conversation was carried by Finn, as the tales leading up to his divorce spilled out of his mouth. That was something else he had noticed about Quinn—intimidating as she could be, he often found it easy to talk to her._

_The coffee encounter turned into occasional dates. And the occasional dates turned into Quinn inspiring him to get his teaching credentials so that he could do for them what Mr. Schue did for all the New Directions—push them to be the best 'them' that they could. She also reminded Finn that he was his best when he led and motivated others._

_His and Quinn's rekindled relationship grew over the two years that followed, and to their fortune, they were able to move to Chicago at roughly the same time. With a glowing recommendation from Mercedes' mother, Quinn had been offered a job with a real estate agency. Soon after, Finn picked up the glee teacher and later, a coaching job for the community's football team._

Now, Finn was remembering this all with a favorable smile on. He shut his eyes and let his body rest beside his future wife and unborn daughter. The chance of falling ill was one he'd be willing to take, if it meant he could still remain close to Quinn.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! Would you like to see more? Would you want the next chapter in Quinn's POV? Anything in particular you'd like to see? Let me know!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**October, 2022 **(same day as Chapter 1)_

It was the first baby dream Quinn had since entering her third trimester. She was walking round, unable to see herself, yet somehow aware that she was herself. From a distance she heard, "Mom!" echoing out to her. She smiled to herself and then turned to share this smile with the little girl who had called to her. In previous dreams she'd seen her little girl growing up with a mix of blonde and auburn hair, Finn's brown hues and her nose and smile. But the girl who called out to her didn't have dirty blonde hair, nor did she have her nose or Finn's eyes. She looked to be about ten years old as she ran straight towards Quinn.

Quinn's smile faltered to a look of pure shock. Sure, a day hadn't gone by where she didn't think about Beth, but seeing a ten-year old version of the babe she once gave up was jarring. It seemed like she was running in slow motion; her gentle blond curls bounced with her steps and by God, did she have the most charming smile. Her hair looked like it hadn't ever been cut short, which is exactly what Quinn would have done. An innocent peal of giggles erupted from her tiny throat after, "Mom!" left her lips again. Quinn, previously rooted where she stood, broke into a run to meet with her long-lost child.

Before their fingertips touched, Quinn gasped and snapped her eyes open, hiccupping a sob. Her nose was running and her throat felt miserably itchy and raw. She flinched and gasped again when a large, rough hand touched her cheek. "Finn," she breathed. Quickly, she pulled her face away from his palm and sat up against the pillows so that she could snatch a few fresh tissues from her nightstand. Her tousled blonde locks spilled over her shoulders as she bowed her head and covered the lower half of her face with Kleenex.

"What's the matter?" she heard him ask.

"Nothing," she replied briskly, covering her nose with a tissue, "It was just a dream."

She saw him shift on the bed to face her while anxiously asking, "Well…what was it about?"

"I don't want to talk about it. And I told you, you shouldn't be in here with me while I'm sick."

Her eyes felt too heavy to cast him a sharp gaze, but he was now frowning at her hoarse but terse voice and it made her feel a pang of guilt. He looked like a puppy and she'd kicked him for cuddling up to her. She sighed, followed by a cough and then amended her words, "I just don't want to get you sick, Finn."

"I know," he replied, lifting his gaze to her again. "But…I just wanted to be near you, babe. You and Sophia. And look!"

He turned away from her, perking up slightly, and then picked up something noisy. When he faced her again, Finn held out the ribbon-bound flowers; Quinn lowered the wad of tissues from her pinking nose. Her dry lips spread into a soft smile, "Are those for me?"

"Yeah," Finn said with his signature boyish smile. "It's not much but—"

"But it means a lot to me," finished Quinn. She set the balled up tissues down on her nightstand so that her hands were free to accept the bouquet. Even though she could hardly smell a thing, she brought them to her nose anyway, letting the uniquely smooth petals graze her face. Her smile grew as she croaked, "Tiger Lilies."

"Yeah," Finn said again.

Without turning her head, Quinn's dark green hues glanced at him. "I love them, Finn."

His smile grew, "Good." There was a hopeful twinkle in his eyes as he proceeded to ask, "Can I have a kiss?"

Quinn rolled her eyes but couldn't fight the growth in her own smile. Removing one hand from around the bouquet, she bent her index finger to him in a 'come hither' manner. As Finn leaned across the bed, Quinn lowered the Tiger Lilies from her face. She softened her smile just before his lips neared hers, and before he could claim her lips, she seized his chin and turned his head to the side to plant a kiss on his cheek.

She bit her lip as Finn stared at her—a mix of displeasure and amusement on his face.

"I mean it Finn, I don't want you getting sick."

He sighed, "I know, I know. Just…get better soon, okay?"

"I'll try," she told him with a tired smile. "I just need some sleep, but between the coughing and Sophia's kicking, I don't see that happening."

"Well…maybe she's hungry. You haven't eaten since dinner last night, huh?"

Quinn shrugged, "No. I've been trying to sleep."

"Well," Finn glanced at the digital clock on his nightstand, "It's almost 1pm so you should probably eat something. I'll heat you up some soup."

One of her cinnamon brown brows arched suspiciously as she set the flowers down in her lap. Had she heard him correctly? "Finn…you don't cook unless it's going on a grill. Or should I remind you of Thanksgiving last year?"

He rolled his eyes and blushed—obviously he remembered his incident that nearly cost Quinn's mother, Judy, a new kitchen. "I'm not cooking the soup. I think I can manage heating up chicken noodle from a can."

Quinn giggled at his indignant tone, "I have faith in you."

"You'll have faith in me when I come back with a hot bowl of soup and didn't destroy the microwave making," he argued. But his lips slipped up in a knowing smirk as though accepting her subtle challenge. He got up from the bed and strode to the door, "I'll get you a vase too." Before leaving, he paused and looked back to Quinn, "And…if you decide you want to talk about your dream, I'll listen."

Her amusement vanished from her face. Her smile lessened and instinctively, her hands went protectively to her stomach. She raised her chin—a small but natural defensive inclination of hers—and whispered lowly, "Thanks, Finn."

She didn't know if her dream was something she would be discussing anytime soon. Beth was never a forgotten memory to Quinn, but she had long ago accepted that she would not have a relationship with her. She hadn't found the words to explain to Finn just how much his love and comfort has helped her in the few years that they had rekindled their relationship. She knew that she wanted to have a family someday, but after graduating Yale and returning to Lima, she started to doubt that it was going to happen any time soon. Now here she was, engaged and expecting. It not only looked like she was on the right track, but she _felt_ it. Being back with Finn—preparing to share a life and a child with him, with no looming secrets or third parties involved—was as things should be. All she could ask for now was to get over this cold and fast.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! Did you enjoy this drabble chapter? Is there anything you'd like to see happen next? Let me know!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**October, 2022**_ (Halloween)

Why did he agree to this? Oh, right, because his fiancé thought it would be cute and he wasn't in a position to upset her with arguing it. Finn stood in their master bathroom, donning a white wife beater over the upper half of his towering figure. From the waist, down he wore a polyester cow-printed jumpsuit.

"Oh, for God's sake Finn, why do you look like I just robbed you of your manhood?" Quinn asked, appearing in the doorway behind him. She was dressed a cowgirl, complete with a straw hat over blonde pig tails, and a red plaid shirt, boot-cut jeans and a denim bolero jacket.

He looked at her reflection in the mirror—the tips of his ears going red as he told her, "You did! What grown man dresses up as a cow for Halloween?"

Her green hues rolled, "This, coming from the guy who walked down our high school's hallways in his boxers and a vinyl Gaga dress."

"Why couldn't _you_ be the cow?" He asked, and immediately regretted it. He saw Quinn's amused face fall and hurt flash across her face. She scowled before promptly turning to leave and Finn swore under his breath before going after her. "Quinn, wait!"

"Can't believe you called me a cow," she huffed in between soft sobs.

Finn was right on her heels as she descended the stairs. "I didn't mean it like that!" he insisted. "Will ya just wait a second, Quinn?"

"Why?" she demanded through clenched teeth. She rounded on him, bringing the tall brunette to a halt at the final steps. "Why? So you can call me a cow again?"

"No! Babe, I—"

"Don't 'Babe' me right now, Finn, okay? I know you just spent the past couple weeks taking care of me while I was sick, but I'm not sick anymore. I'm huge right now. And I'm hormonal. And I don't need you making fun of me for it!"

He let out a short sigh and seized both of her hands. "Just listen to me for a sec, okay?" The hurt feelings were coursing through Quinn—it was a little scary for him that he could feel it as he held her fingers. Unfortunately all it did was reinforce his guilt on the poor choice of words. He took a deep breath and considered suggesting that she do the same but the angry tears trickling down her face made him skip right to his apology.

"Quinn I swear to you, I didn't mean what I said. I'm sorry. And I don't think you're a cow." It looked like her lower lip was threatening to jut out, but he watched her tuck both lips into her mouth for a moment. Finn then reached up to dry her cheeks; his large, rough hand remained cupped to her soft, flushed cheek. He then watched her eyes shut upon the touch, which made him smile softly.

With her one hand now freed from his grasp, she reached up to place it over his. "I just wanted us to have a cute matching costume this Halloween. It's our first Halloween together in a really long time. And it's our first one in this house, and our last Halloween we'll have before Sophia gets here." As if to point out her implication, she curled her fingers around his cupped hand and lowered it to the top of her rounded stomach. Underneath the plaid fabric, their little girl was kicking away.

A guilty smile spread across Finn's face. He opened his mouth to apologize again but Quinn spoke up first.

"You can pick out your costume for next year, but…I'd really like it if you wore this while we passed out candy."

He lifted his gaze from their overlapped hands, up to her large, dark sage irises. In that moment, he was extremely grateful she was no longer crying or glaring at him—Quinn was too beautiful for that, or at least he'd always thought so. She was always stunning to him and she always would be, but her smile was one of the physical features he found heart-stopping about her.

With a delicate motion, he slipped his hand out from underneath hers, freed his other hand and reached at his waist for the polyester jumpsuit. After finding the sleeves to thread his arms through, he shrugged his shoulders inside the costume and then zipped the front all the way up to his collar. Finally, he raised the hood over his hair, presenting two stubbly horns above a pair of short, floppy ears.

Finn stared at Quinn, hoping his cooperation with the costume might bring a smile on her face. Instead she looked like she was fighting the desire to smile. He narrowed his eyes contemplatively at her and then bent his head toward her face. As he tilted his head to kiss her cheek one of his hands slightly raised to remove her straw hat. While she reacted by reaching to reclaim the hat, Finn playfully, mooed against her cheek.

Quinn giggled while turning her face away from his mooing lips. "Stop it," she feebly demanded through her laughs. She playfully pushed at his chest and stepped back from him to go to the kitchen. Finn ambled after her, returning her hat to the top of her blonde head.

"You're a sexy cowgirl by the way," he said to her as she plucked a Dum Dum from the large candy bowl and began un-wrapping it.

When she looked back up to him again, she was smiling, "And you are an adorable cow, Finn Hudson."

He rolled his eyes but smiled while playfully muttering, "Thanks. Are you gonna lasso me and bring me back to pasture later?"

She cocked an interested brow at him and smirked, "Maybe. I might not be able to see my feet anymore, but I think I could still manage that."

Both of Finn's brows shot up. "Wait…just so we're clear, we _are_ both talking about the same thing, right? I mean I was just kidding at first but…"

"I know you were…but I wasn't. Besides, it's been a long time, and it's completely safe." Just before she could stick the sucker in her mouth, Finn drew her close at the hips and spent a moment, just staring into her eyes to determine her seriousness. As the moment started to pass, he bent his head again to kiss her full on her soft, glossy, flawless lips.

Quinn gasped but shut her eyes and tilted her head, naturally accepting his kiss. Still holding her lollipop, her hands rose up to hold either side of his face at first, but they soon came around his neck.

Finn used his pair to part her lips and deepen the once tender kiss by slipping his tongue in her mouth, taking traces of strawberry lip gloss with him. He felt his fiancée's fingernails scrape the nape of his neck, causing him to shudder. Without really meaning to, he'd backed Quinn up against the kitchen counter. He heard her mutter something against his lips but it wasn't comprehensible so he went on, fervently kissing her.

That was, until the doorbell rang.

Quinn's eyes opened and she gasped through her nose, pushing Finn gently away. As soon as she caught her breath, her lips spread into a grin "Our first trick-or-treaters are here" she quietly announced in her naturally alluring tone. After picking up the bowl of candy, she strolled back out of the kitchen to answer the door.

Finn reluctantly followed after her. He wiped the smeared gloss from his lips while casting a childishly bitter gaze. Right before the door opened, he muttered under his breath, "I hate Halloween."

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_**Please leave reviews! More chapters are coming soon!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**December 9, 2022**_

Quinn sat on a mat with her back rested slightly to Finn's chest. Her legs were folded as she adjusted the end of her floral print blouse. She had finally reached a calmed place after she had spent the morning stressfully coaxing Finn into attending Lamaze classes with her.

"_It's not just for me—I've been through this before, remember_?" she had said to him earlier. "_You and I are going through all of this together, Finn_."

"_I know, I know. It's just…all the weird breathing stuff kinda makes me nervous. Like it's the real deal_."

She raised one perfectly arched brow at him, and then narrowed her eyes, "_What exactly do you think is gonna happen when it _is_ 'the real deal'?_"

"_Hopefully not pass out_," he promptly replied with a look on his face that said he wasn't kidding.

Quinn sighed impatiently, "_Finn Christopher Hudson, you're a leader. You know how to man up when it counts. Please don't jinx yourself by thinking you'll pass out in the delivery room when I'll need you most_."

That had been enough to calm her beau down; she always knew how to whip him into shape whenever he'd stray down a dubious path.

So here they were, sitting with seven other expecting couples while a middle-aged instructor talked to them about breathing methods. She positioned herself on the floor, mimicking the pose of the mothers-to-be while her hands gestured rising and falling actions. "The most important thing is to remember to breathe. During a contraction, you will have the urge to hold your breath in because of the pain and the desire to push, but you will want to breathe, deep breaths. Let's practice now, shall we?"

From there, the Lamaze coach demonstrated some ideal breaths and then told them to give it a try. Quinn took in a long breath, shutting her eyes and filling her lungs. As she started to exhale, her eyes snapped back open; she stopped exhaling and instinctively pinched her ear to her shoulder.

"Finn!" she scolded, jutting an elbow back at him.

"What?" he replied, rubbing his chest and looking earnestly clueless.

The entire class was looking at them but Quinn was unfazed as she hissed, "Stop blowing into my ear!" She smoothed her face out again, and though a layer of irritation lay beneath her exterior, she looked to the teacher with a gaze that prompted the elder woman to go on with the lesson.

* * *

"You didn't have to elbow me so hard," Finn muttered as they walked out of the building and to the parking lot where Finn's Jeep was parked.

Quinn rolled her eyes, "I told you I was sorry. But really, Finn? What part of your brain said it'd be smart to blow in my ear like that?"

"I told you I was nervous!" he said defensively. "I wasn't thinking about where I was breathing out my air."

"Obviously!"

"Hey, newsflash! You don't have to snap at me. I made one little mistake. So what? I think I did pretty good for the rest of the class."

As Finn twisted his keys hard in the ignition, Quinn watched him. She only became aware of her angst-riddled attack after he'd pointed it out to her. Her razor sharp glare started to soften and her pinched lips settled. She stared at the floor of the car while buckling up and then looked to Finn again. She noticed the tightness around his eyes and felt a little guilty for causing it. It wasn't news to her that she often came down on him, but that didn't change the fact that she still loved him. He might not always think of everything, but he did care about her and he _was_ trying to gain a handle on parenting.

As he drove, Quinn reached across the seat-dividing panel towards the steering wheel and placed a hand over his right set of knuckles. "Finn…"

"What?" he muttered.

Quinn held her head up while her jade orbs glanced down again. "I'm sorry, okay?" Her hands moved so that her fingers overlapped his. "You were right. I didn't have to snap at you…I was wrong." Glancing away at nothing in particular—though her eyes remained low—she added, "I just get upset sometimes when you do some things that seem like common sense to me."

Finn chuckled once, dryly, "Hasn't anyone ever told you?"

"Told me what?" she asked, lifting her gaze and pulling her brows together.

"That there's no such thing as common sense."

She thought about this for a couple of seconds and then echoed his scoff. "No, I guess not but there's a first time for everything, right?"

"Yeah…like how there's a first time for learning how to be a dad and do all this stuff."

Quinn heard the slight hurt in his voice as he said that. She smiled to keep herself in encouraging spirits, and curled her fingers around his with the hopes of prying his hand away. When it worked, she put his sturdy hand in her lap and held onto it between her warm, delicate palms. "You know that Beth will always be a part of me…but…I wasn't a mother to her. _This_ is my first real time at parenting too…"

She glanced up to gauge Finn's face and only saw him swallow. When he didn't reply to her she softly told him, "What I mean to tell you is…all these experiences aren't old for me. Sure, being pregnant is familiar, and I can anticipate what the labor will be like…but after that…you and I are going to be on par with each other, Finn. The sleepless nights and the diaper changes and the doctor's appointments…that's gonna be new and we'll experience it and learn it all together."

For the first time since getting in the car, she saw a smile break across Finn's face like the sun rising on a new day. It made her smile as well, but her smile soon faded.

"Ugh!" she squeezed her eyes shut and flexed her hands tightly around Finn's.

"Ow! What was that for?"

Quinn slowly sighed—her lips forming a small oval shape. "Ooo that wasn't 'cause of you—" her teeth clenched.

"What's wrong?" Finn asked, whipping his gaze back and forth between the road and her.

She softly panted, "It's nothing…it's nothing—just a little contraction."

"_What?_" exclaimed Finn. "A contraction's not nothing! The doctor said—"

"To call if my water breaks," Quinn reminded him sharply, through her sudden pain. "And that hasn't happened yet. So it's nothing." After taking in one deep breath, she whispered, "One little contraction doesn't mean it's time..."

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_**Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated! The next chapter (narrated from Finn's POV, 3rd person of course), coming soon!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**December 9, 2022**_ (continued)

Finn pulled the Jeep into the driveway and parked. He had just calmed down from Quinn's contraction when another one hit her.

"Are you sur—ow, _ow_, _OW_!" He stiffened as Quinn squeezed the life out of his right hand. His chest puffed against his seatbelt as he tried steeling himself against the pain but she hadn't let go or relaxed her grip. He had never known for Quinn to be particularly strong, physically but damn—contractions gave her the strength of Wonder Woman!

"Breathe, Babe, breathe!" he hastily reminded her in a minimal voice.

As he heard her slowly release a breath, she'd finally let go of his hand. Finn drew it close to him, flexing and relaxing it repeatedly. "Holy shit, that hurt," he whispered staring at his hand while wondering how she hadn't broken any bones.

"I'm okay," Quinn insisted.

"No, no you're not 'fine'—you just had like…two contractions in ten minutes!"

"It's not cause for this much concern until they're about five minutes apart."

Finn's brows rose while his tone elevated to borderline hysterics, "Oh that's great—so we should just wait until that happens? No, we're going to the hospital! _Now_!"

"Finn! Relax. The baby's not gonna come flying out of my pants, okay?" She took a couple of deep breaths in her nose and out of her mouth while pressing a hand along her stomach. "Look, let's at least go inside and get the overnight bags."

The brunette was staring at her with a hard-fixed gaze as though they were running a play for a football game. He nodded one sharp nod, "Right. You wait here. I'll go get the bags. Then we can call our moms when we get to the hospital."

"Sounds great," Quinn said, half-sarcastically. "I'm going to call my doctor though while you go get the bag. Just don't forget to lock the house up on your way out."

"Got it," he said while rushing out of the car. He felt Quinn's eyes on him through the windshield but didn't dwell on her appraising stare. There was the very real possibility that he was going to meet his daughter within the next day.

Once inside the house, he sped to the staircase, taking the steps two at a time and then darted down the hall to their bedroom. The entire way, a giddy smile was creeping across his face and reached its peak when he reached their closet. On the floor of the closet was a grey and blue, pre-packed duffle bag. Sitting on the top was a handwritten note from Quinn: "Lock the front door!" with a heart beside it. He chuckled lightly to himself, slung the bag onto his shoulder and promptly headed for the door.

As Finn hurried out of the bedroom with the large duffle bag, he nearly collided with Quinn. He stopped just short of doing so and quickly stepped back, taking in her unusual posture. Her legs were spread apart in a slight squat as though she were seated on an invisible pony, but her white leggings were unusually dark at the joining of her legs. Finn's face contorted—jaw slackened, brows raised. "Uhh…what the hell happened?"

"My water broke. Stop staring at me like I decided to pee on myself! I need to change before we go."

She waddled past him and disappeared in the bedroom. Finn took a few steps toward the stairs and waited for her at the upper landing but a strangled holler from his fiancée sent him running back into their room only moments later.

Quinn was hunched at the foot of their bed, clad only in her blouse and underwear. She looked like she was in the worst pain Finn had ever seen her in, which made him come to her side faster than usual. She let out an agonizing groan while clutching her fingers to the bedspread. Not knowing what else to do, Finn raised a hand to rub soothing circles along her back.

"It's okay. The pain will pass soon," he murmured repeatedly, although it was hard to tell if he was trying to convince himself or her. But when Quinn nodded her bowed head, her acknowledgement of his words made him feel a little more certain about what he was doing.

As his hand continued its circuit along Quinn's back, he felt her shoulders rise and fall as she said to him, "My coat…the pink one with the butterfly pin on it…and my yellow dress…can you get them for me?"

"Yeah, sure," Finn replied, rising to his full stature. He neared the closet again, found the dress and coat she'd asked for and helped her change clothes. From there, he helped her get into a pair of boots and escorted her back out to the car.

As he drove, it started to sink into his mind—he was going to be a dad. There was no more waiting and no more wondering. In some number of hours, he and Quinn were going to be meeting their baby girl. It had taken him a while to get used to the idea of being a father, but this drive to the hospital—a first time experience that may or may not happen again—this weighed the reality down on him and pushed his lips up into a smile. That was, until Quinn found his hand again to grip for another contraction.

_That_, he could do without having ever experienced again.

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_**Please leave reviews! More coming soon!**_


	6. Chapter 6

"Well Ms. Fabray, it looks like you're about five centimeters along. Everything looks good so far with you and the baby. Did you want me to get the anesthesiologist for an epidural?"

Finn answered, "Oh, no she doesn't want—"

"Yes—give it to me," interrupted Quinn. Her green orbs snapped in Finn's direction to catch his confused expression.

As the doctor left to get the anesthesiologist, Finn quietly said to her, "I thought you were going to do this all natural? No drugs."

Her face looked tired from the multiple contractions but she still managed to narrow her gaze into a lethal stare. "It's either that or I keep holding your hand through all my contractions. And trust me—they're only going to come more frequently."

She eyed the Ziploc bag of ice Finn had over his right set of knuckles and then looked back to him, waiting for his answer.

"Epidural, it is!" He replied, cradling his hand just a little closer to his body.

They had been at the hospital for two hours so far. Quinn's parents and Finn's mom and stepdad were already making the six hour drive from Lima. Finn had called his stepbrother and sent a text message to their closest friends about the news.

Quinn lay back against the provided pillow, closing her eyes to help her focus on just breathing as another contraction hit her. She gripped the bed rails with both hands while scrunching up her face. She felt Finn's large hand begin to rub soothing circles along her back while she endured the labor pain. When the contraction finally lessened enough for her to speak, she softly told him, "Thank you."

* * *

Another three hours passed and day turned to dusk since the OB-GYN returned with the anesthesiologist to administer the medicine. Quinn had been encouraged to rest and relax as much as possible. Her contractions would still come but the medicines had her handling them as a more tolerable pain than before, while she waited to dilate further. She tried to take a nap but found it impossible to get comfortable—between the IV stuck in the back of her left hand and the confines of the hospital bed itself, she ended up lying back, watching Finn flip through network after network on the T.V. mounted high in front of her.

"Hey, can I ask you something? I know it's random but…I've kinda been wanting to know…" Finn trailed off.

Quinn took her gaze away from the television easily—he had stopped on ESPN—and patiently told him, "Yes. What's on your mind?"

She watched Finn's brows form a look of hard sternness that he got whenever he genuinely wanted to think something through. As he got around to asking his question however, the creases on his forehead smoothed out and he spoke up to her. "How come you never give me any pet names or nicknames?"

Right away, her hand stopped rubbing slow circles on her stomach and her brows show up. "Excuse me?

"Well," Finn shrugged, "I call you 'Babe' or 'Baby' sometimes. But I never hear you call me anything. It's either 'Finn' or nothing."

Unable to help herself, Quinn smiled though it was out of empathy. Finn had looked so defeated yet genuinely curious when she spoke those things to her. She thought about his question for a moment and then matter-of-factly told him, "I didn't know you liked them or ever wanted one." He didn't answer but she'd looked down at her stomach and withdrew to her own thoughts for a moment. After some quiet, passing seconds, Quinn looked up again and told him, "I'll call you one if want me to. But just this one."

She saw Finn perk up a bit with interest, "Which one's that?"

Quinn pursed her lips to try and keep her smile from turning into a grin, but it happened anyway as she murmured, "Drizzle."

Right away, Finn's intrigue morphed to cluelessness. "'Drizzle'?"

"You don't remember?" Quinn asked, letter herself grin freely but it quickly vanished as another contraction hit. She winced, drawing in deep breaths until it passed and she'd allow herself to speak again. "Sophomore year, you wanted to name Beth, 'Drizzle'. I thought it was stupid and I still wouldn't name any of our children that, but—"

"Ohhh I remember now." He shook his head at himself, "Sounds more like a dog's name though. Can we save that for a dog's name?"

Quinn's brows rose, "We're getting a dog?"

"Well, I dunno. I want to one day and Drizzle would be a cool dog's name. Sorta sentimental too."

She shook her head at him, still smiling a bit though. "We can talk about the dog another day. But I wasn't gonna call you Drizzle, Finn. If I wouldn't name a baby Drizzle, I'm not going to nickname you it either. But I could go with something a little more old-fashioned like 'Darling', 'Sweetie' or 'Sweetheart'."

As she thought some more on a possible name of endearment for her fiancé, her doctor returned to the room with a midwife to check on the progress of her labor. Quinn shifted her upper body as much as she could; as a nickname hit her, she turned a small smile to Finn and opened her mouth to tell him but her obstetrician spoke up.

"Alright Quinn, you're 10 centimeters. Time for you to be having this baby."

Quinn's face filled with anticipation, joy and slight anguish as another contraction was coming on. The midwife instructed Finn to stand and help hold Quinn's leg back while the obstetrician coached the blonde through her contraction.

Though the epidural had numbed her from the waist, down, no amount of medicine could keep her from feeling all the laboring pain. "Oh my God," she moaned through clenched teeth as her head lolled skyward. For twenty minutes, the delivery room was a mangled mix of firm commands, audible groans, syncopated counts and awed comments.

"Holy shit," she heard Finn say, to which she narrowed her gaze to narrow slits.

"Are you kidding me right now, Finn!"

"Push, Quinn!" commanded the doctor.

"2, 3, 4, 5…" counted the midwife.

"Why did I think I could do this again—oh my God!" she cried out above the other three voices.

But after twenty minutes of pushing, Sophia Cary Hudson entered the world and was placed onto Quinn, exercising her tiny lungs for all the room to hear. The midwife was quick to clean her off and drape

Quinn panted, and smiled, and stared down at her little girl. "Oh my God," She breathed again with a dramatically changed tone. All of the blissful emotions Quinn possessed came out in her uneven voice as she greeted her daughter. "Hello my beautiful, Sophia." After nine months of waiting, her daughter was here. She sounded healthy and from what Quinn could tell, she had all her fingers and toes. She teared up, looking at everything about her newborn babe—from matted mess of dark blonde hair to her trembling, crying pink lips and her pudgy cheeks. In Quinn's eyes, she was perfect.

"Do you wanna cut the cord, Dad?" the midwife asked.

Quinn looked up to Finn and noticed his head was bowed. He looked incredibly stern but she knew that fixed gaze all too well. Underneath his hard exterior—which was soon dissolving—he was a ball of emotions. She'd seen him look this way after she had accepted his proposal. And again a short time after she told him she was pregnant.

Placing one delicate but secure hand over Sophia's chest, Quinn watched the nurses clamp the umbilical cord in the right places for Finn to cut it. After he did, Quinn reached her free hand up to him, "Hey, Charming."

Her voice was soft; tired, a little bit raspy but entirely full of love. Seeing Finn smirk at his new nickname made her own smile grow. She held onto his accepting hand and told him, "We did it."

Sustaining her smile, she saw Finn shake his head at her, "No." He lifted her hand to kiss her knuckles. "_You_ did it. You're amazing, Babe and look. We have our little girl now."

"I know." Quinn's tired but blissful smile remained as she looked back down at Sophia. It was so strange for her to try to think of something to say because in that moment, her mind was swirling. An old quote popped into her head though as she held her daughter and held her husband's hand. "Continue to love me. Never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved. Ever mine, ever thine, ever ours."

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_**Please leave reviews! More is coming soon! **_

_*****And to the anon-reviewer who wanted Quinn's labor to be a false alarm, I am sorry but I couldn't do that. When a woman's water breaks, it cannot be a false alarm—the baby has to be delivered. Her water broke, therefore the baby needed to arrive soon. Plus I have more in store for Fuinn beyond Quinn being preggo throughout the drabble chapters, so hang in there with me! :)**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**December 16, 2022**_

Finn's eyes pried open, and he soon became aware of the fact that it was still dark outside. This was the routine now, as he and Quinn understood after a week of being home with Sophia. He heard her soft whines come through the baby monitor on Quinn's side of the bed, and rolled over to tell his fiancée that he would go check on her, but his words came up short. Half of the bed was already empty; no sooner had he realized this, did he hear Quinn's voice coming softly through the monitor.

"I'm going to sing you a song, okay? My mom used to sing this to me when I was little, but…she changed the name from 'Daisy' to 'Lucy'. So I'm gonna change it from 'Lucy' to 'Sophie'. How's that sound?"

Sophia continued to let out light, garbled coos; Finn rose from the bed with a smile as he drifted from the bedroom to Sophia's nursery. As he approached the pink-themed room, he heard Quinn softly sing to their baby girl.

"_Sophie, Sophie—give me your answer true. I'm half crazy all for the love of you. It won't be a stylish marriage; I can't afford a carriage, but you'll look sweet upon my seat of a bicycle built for two_…"

Finn stood in the doorway, watching the two loves of his life. Quinn had Sophia cradled in her arms as she sat in a rocking chair. The only thing between Quinn and Sophia was a lime-colored blanket with yellow ducks printed all over, which Quinn had loosely draped over her arms. But she stared down at their tiny child and softly sang "Bicycle Build for Two" again. Her hazel green eyes glanced up at Finn and she smiled softly but continued to sing on.

Finn smiled back—his lips tugging up on one side. Sometimes it would hit him just how insane it felt for him to be so in love with his daughter. He frequently replayed in his mind, that moment in the hospital when he finally got to see her, and the first time he got to hold her. That felt more real to him than seeing her. Becoming familiar with her 7-pound, 2-ounce weight took no time at all. And over the course of her first few days of life, they watched her initially dark eyes grow light into a hazel pair—an even blend of Quinn and Finn's hues. Her hair remained dark blonde wisps but they began to curl slightly at the ends.

With a slow pace, Finn entered the nursery and crossed the room to stand over his two girls. Quinn was still rocking slowly but her song fell to a hum now. He saw that Sophia's eyes had shut but her lips parted slightly—the same way Quinn's would when she would fall asleep. Finn's smile grew as he softly whispered in a hoarse voice, "See? Even when she sleeps, she looks like you."

"I still say she smiles like you."

His brows rose, "Nah, she's a mini version of her Mommy, to boot." He saw a rise in Quinn's cheeks as he said this; bending down to her level, he pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Oh, will you take her for a moment, Finn? I have to go to the bathroom."

"Of course," he replied with twinkling eyes. He wasn't fully aware of how much it showed, but inside, he felt the joy he got from holding his daughter and staring at her. He waited for Quinn to stand up and carefully hand her off; she pressed a tender kiss to their pudgy-cheeked daughter and then headed out of the nursery.

Finn cradled her to her chest—the feeling being a little more familiar than he would admit aloud. Quinn would probably verbally whip him if he compared their daughter to a football. Hell, he knew he would deserve it too. Sophia was so much more valuable, and precious and beautiful than a pigskin. He freed one of his hands so that he could slip an index finger into her palm. Just as he'd hoped, she gripped his finger while drifting off to sleep and didn't let go until she was nearly asleep.

As he slowly walked about the perimeter of the nursery, Finn hummed an old rock song he'd grown to love. It didn't take long for him to get bored with humming it and so he gave in and started to sing softly to her instead. His back was to the door as his falsetto tone rasped, "_Let me be the one who calls you 'baby' all the time. Surely you can take some comfort knowing that you're mine_…" He rocked her back and forth in his arms, knowing his limited dance skills could handle that much. "_Just hold me tight—lay by my side and let me be the one who calls you baby all the time. I've found my place in the world—I could stare at your face for the rest of my days. Now I can breathe, turn my insides out and smother me. Warm and alive I'm all over you, would you smother me?"_

Midway through turning to face the door, he saw Quinn standing there, leaning against the frame with her arms folded and a smile on her face. He directed the next portion of lyrics to her and sang on, "_Let me be the one who never leaves you all alone. I hold my breath and lose the feeling that I'm on my own. Hold me too tight, stay by my side and let me be the one who calls you 'baby' all the time. I've found my place, in the world; I could stare at your face for the rest of my days_."

To his surprise, Quinn softly rasped the next lyrics back to him. "_Now I can breathe—turn my insides out and smother me. Warm and alive I'm all over you, would you smother me_?"

She entered the room while singing this part and once she was close enough, Finn extending a hand to her and playfully twirled her around. His eyes darted back and forth between watching Sophia drift to a deeper sleep and Quinn smiling as she twirled once around. Finn watched her smile soften as he lowered his hand from hers long enough for him to approach Sophia's crib and sing the final bit to her. "_Let me be the one who calls you 'baby'…the one who calls you 'baby'_…"

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_**Song lyrics are "Smother Me" by The Used.  
I'm very grateful for all the reviews! Please keep 'em coming! More Fuinn Fabrudson is on the way**_!


	8. Chapter 8

_**May, 2023**_

"Oookay Sophia," Quinn said with an infectious smile. "Ready to go visit Daddy?" She unbuckled the six month-old from her car seat and carefully lifted her out. With a diaper bag—doubling for a purse—on her left shoulder and her daughter held to her right hip, Quinn closed and locked up her Jetta and walked up to the Lake View High School main office. She was only showing one house that day, and with that out of the way, she and Sophia had the rest of the day to do as they pleased. So she decided to surprise her fiancée with a little visit at work.

When Quinn entered the office with Sophia, the secretary at the desk, initially gave a dull look but she blinked a double-take and brightened up at the sight o Sophia. She had been the most bubbly baby on the planet and almost always won everyone over in an instant. She had inherited her mother's large green eyes while maintaining speckles of her father's brown hues; her hair had also darkened to a deep bronze color as it grew to long, silky smooth strands.

"Well isn't she precious?" said the elder woman behind the desk. She couldn't take her eyes off of Sophia, who seemed to deliberately beam a charming, toothless smile at the woman.

Quinn pressed a kiss to her daughter's plump cheek and smiled an equally charming smile, "We actually came by to visit her daddy. Can I have a visitor's pass?"

"_Yes you may_," the woman said in a falsetto, baby-talk tone. When she realized that she had directed this to Quinn however, she cleared her throat and collected her professional self again. "Just sign that clipboard."

Quinn's gaze lingered judgmentally at the woman before lowering her eyes to the clipboard; in turn, the woman blushed furiously and rushed to ask, "Who's her daddy by the way?"

"Finn Hudson? The glee coach."

"Ohh yes, Mr. Hudson! The kids seem to really like him. So you must be Ms. Fabray." The woman extended a hand out and Quinn shook it with a faintly flattered smile.

"Your fiancée talks about you and your daughter often—though it's not hard to see why. I should've recognized you both from the pictures he shows us in his wallet."

Quinn's smile grew with the extensive flattery, "Thank you."

"It was nice to meet you, little lady!" she crooned to Sophia.

The little girl stared at the secretary for a long time, much like her mother had done a moment ago. Quinn's friendly smile returned until she left the office with her daughter. Sophia squealed a little babble to her mom and Quinn responded, "Yeah I think Daddy's trying to start a 'Mommy and Sophia' fan club at work too." A very feminine chuckle left her as she walked, knowing the right way to the glee club's rehearsal space.

The classroom door was open as Quinn neared it. She heard a group of high school students harmonizing an a'capella cover of Ingrid Michaelson's "The Way I Am" while the other students snapped and clapped the repetitive beat. Quinn peeked inside and saw her fiancée seated on a stool with an acoustic guitar in his lap, playing right along with his students. One petite girl with dark brown hair sat in the center of the cluster of students, swaying back and forth as she sang. Another student—a blonde in a red dress with a pony tail was sitting directly behind the brunette, snapping her fingers while shooting daggers at the back of the other girl's head. Another smile broke across Quinn's face—different from the ones before. She was quickly reminded of her own days in Glee club, particularly the early days.

She huffed a soft chuckle, lowered her gaze to the floor; when the song ended, as though on cue, Sophia made their presence known with another nonsensical babble.

Finn's head whipped around while the students all looked to the door. Quinn stood, still clad in her grey pencil skirt and royal blue blouse. Sophia, dressed in a powder pink Strawberry Shortcake dress, had her tiny legs hitched to her mother's side but her eyes were stuck on her dad.

"Quinn!" Finn popped up quickly, making his way to the door in a few long strides.

"That was beautiful, said Quinn as she smiled up at him. "The song. Are you guys using it for one of your Nationals numbers?"

"Maybe. I don't know yet."

"Shame. You should really consider it."

Finn cast one of his goofy smiles at her—his cheeks turning slightly pink from his future wife's compliment.

"Uh…Mr. H?" spoke one of his students-the brunette. "Not to interrupt but, is this your fiancée and your daughter?"

Quinn smiled again as Finn turned back to his class, "Uh, yeah! Sorry guys—everyone, this is my fiancée, Quinn and my little girl, Sophia."

All of the girls sighed a unanimous, "Awww," at Sophia while the guys were all gawking at Quinn. One had the sense to nudge his fiend so that he could pick up his jaw, but it didn't matter much; Quinn could feel all their eyes on her but she ignored it and focused on Sophia instead.

Their little girl had taken to babbling and was making motor noises with her lips. Everyone was laughing or giggling at her cuteness. Finn stole here from Quinn's arms while asking, "What are you doing here?"

"I got done early, so I thought Sophia and I might come surprise you."

Bringing his smile back, Finn looked to Sophia, "You succeeded—hi Sophie!" His tone was always eager when it came to his daughter. He certainly could not help himself, and it never mattered what he was doing. Whether it be feeding her, holding her, or changing her diapers, he always exclaimed his words.

Sophia tried to grip the side of her daddy's sandpaper-friendly cheek while he said, "Hey! Guys, I've told you before that my fiancée and I were in glee club together when we were in high school. She knows how this goes so…what do you say we show her one of the numbers that we're definitely performing for Nationals?"

"Which one?" asked the blonde, "The one where the diva gets to sing the whole song while the rest of us dance behind her?"

Quinn tucked her lips in to keep from smiling. _This is way too freaky_, she thought to herself.

"Excuse me, but just because Mr. Hudson recognizes talent when he hears it, doesn't mean you should be bitter."

"Girls!" Finn hissed in a scolding tone. "Enough, alright? Just get in your places and let's put on the best rehearsal performance."

The two girls begrudgingly joined the others in their place, and soon the group of twelve was performing to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean". One boy carried the soulful pop vocals, not unlike Artie's. Quinn stepped back, out of their way looking mesmerized the entire time. Some feelings of nostalgia were mixed in but for the most part she was in awe of the performance and the likeness some of them had to her fellow New Directions alums.

Finn offered her a stool to sit in and she sat there until they had finished. It didn't take more than half a second for her to start clapping for them at the end.

"Well?" Finn asked, preparing to give Sophia another kiss on the cheek.

"That was…" Quinn's smile grew, "Amazing. Really, you guys are so talented and it would be a really cool song to open with."

The blonde cast a look at Quinn as if she were a lifesaver, "That's what I said to Mr. H last week but—"

"But it's more of a middle number. Our opening number needs to pack a punch," argued the brunette.

Soon the two girls had begun arguing again; Finn turned to his fiancée and held Sophia out to her, "Youuu better take her. I gotta handle this before it gets ugly again."

"Again?" Quinn held their daughter close but Finn didn't hear her. He strode quickly to his students to break up the impending fight.

"You two seriously need to quit all this bickering. It's getting ridiculous, "Finn told them, standing in between with a palm up to each of them.

"Finn?"

He and his students returned their gazes to Quinn as she stepped forward. "Can I say something to them for a moment?"

Staring at her in confusion, he lowered his hands to his sides, "Uh...yeah, sure."

Quinn's charming smile returned, "Thanks." She looked back to the students, "You know…a few of you remind me of my friends and I when we were in glee club. And I know saying that's going to make me sound old but…I just wanted to give you guys some advice from someone who's been where you are. Don't waste time being bitter and ugly towards each other. A good friend of mine once told me, 'Hold on to sixteen for as long as you can.' What he meant by that was—"

"To never grow up? Because I've always wanted to be like Peter Pan," one student shamelessly confessed.

He's like a male Brittany, Quinn thought to herself. "No, that's not quite what he meant. The way I took it was to enjoy your youth while you have it. Don't waste your time you have now, because one day, you're going to have to say goodbye to it—you're going to have to grow up and move on. Now when that happens, do you want to look back and remember all the time you spent bickering and being harsh towards one another? Or do you want these years to be full of great memories and friendships?"

None of the students said anything. She felt Finn's eyes on her but she continued staring from one student to the next. Her gaze frequently returned to the blonde and brunette girls however. "I'm sure Mr. Hudson's told you guys about some of our friends who were in the glee club with us. And sure a lot of them have gone on to do amazing things with their lives, but our abilities to hold onto our friendships and appreciate the good times as a team and a family? Those are the things that allowed us to remain good friends now, 10 years later. I just hope that, if you only remember one thing I've said to you, it's that: Hold on to sixteen for as long as you can. And remember that you guys are a family."

Some of the students looked moved and inspired by Quinn's words. A few masked their thoughts behind a stony, dead-eyed expression while the two bantering girls looked incredibly guilty.

"Anyway, I didn't come to lecture you guys. I'm sure you get enough of that in your classes," she smiled faintly at some of the agreeing faces that met her words and concluded by telling them, "But I wish you all the best in New York."

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_**Please leave reviews! This portion will be continued in the next chapter, in Finn's POV.**_


	9. Chapter 9

**May 12, 2023**

"I still can't believe my Glee club made it to Nationals, dude!"

"Well, Finn, you've always been a leader and you obviously have a talented group out in Chicago."

The taller of the brunettes raised his arms out for final tux alterations while he smiled softly to himself, thinking over his stepbrother's words.

"Thanks, man. The theme this year is 'Nod to the 90's' so...they've been practicing like crazy with their numbers."

Kurt—also having his tux jacket altered—cocked a brow, "Are all of the numbers supposed to be 90's themed?"

Finn shrugged and instantly regretted it as one of the pins poked him. He hissed but answered, "I doubt it, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. At least one had to be, so we're covered with having all three be from the 90's."

"Well, it'll be great to see your glee club blow the judges away at their Nationals tomorrow."

"Yeah," Finn said with a small, but proud smile as he looked down. While one of the shop's employees carefully removed the jacket from him, Finn looked to Kurt, "Hey, I just wanted to thank you again for helping me get the tuxes together."

"Well, considering your bridal party lives on both coasts and you and Quinn are in the Midwest, I figured you needed to head to one of the U.S. fashion capitals—San Francisco, L.A. or New York."

"Yeah, Sam, Mike and Puck sent me pictures of them in their tuxes at their final fitting. Things are really coming together."

Kurt smiled a closed-mouthed smile, "You and Quinn are going to have a fabulous wedding, Finn. That's a promise from yours truly." As he was also relieved of his pin-riddled jacket, Kurt stepped over to give his brother a hug. When they parted, Kurt asked, "Going back o your glee club…who's watching them while you take care of wedding stuff?"

Finn chuckled, "What, you think I'm gonna make the same mistake Mr. Schue made when _we_ were all in New York? No way, I wasn't taking any chances so I had one of the school's P.E. coaches come as a chaperone."

"Smart thinking."

"Well, y'know I didn't want them to do…well what we all did when we were in New York."

Kurt nodded with slightly raised brows, "Oh you mean leave the hotel against our teacher's wishes and crank out some original songs at the last minute only to place twelfth?"

Finn stared at him for a few seconds before answering, "Yeah. That…"

"Relax, Finn," Kurt said, casting an encouraging smile, "Your kids are gonna be great and once Nationals is over, your school year will nearly be done and you can put all of your focus on your family and wedding."

Finn smiled to himself as his mind went to his impending nuptials. He had a picture in his mind of standing at the altar inside Quinn's old church in Lima with his stepbrother and two best friends at his back while Quinn walked up the aisle of pews in a white dress. It wasn't the first time he had this vision in his mind. Years ago, back in high school when they dated, he and Quinn had talked about marriage. Neither of them knew it would be so many years later before that vision became a reality.

He was pulled out of it when Kurt told him, "We better get you back to your hotel. You can check up on your kids before the competition tomorrow."

The tailors took up only a few more minutes of their time before they were allowed to go change and hail a cab. The two chatted up some of the bachelor party plans all the way back to Marriott.

* * *

The following morning, Finn dressed in a business casual outfit—charcoal grey pants and a black dress shirt with a lime-colored tie to show solidarity with his glee club. When he rounded up his group, all of the girls had been dressed in lime sundresses with black leggings while the boys wore black slacks and V-necks with lime vests and ties. Together, Finn, his colleague and the eighteen students walked to Central Park—the first time Finn had ever been to an outdoor show choir competition. A portion of the park had been transformed into a performance space, solely for Nationals.

When they arrived, they learned that they were second to go, out of the second bracket of clubs. Finn looked to them and said, "Alright guys, so you have a while to go. Until we warm up, try not to do too much talking so you can save your voices and just relax. You guys are all great and I know you're gonna kill it up there."

The students nodded and some smiled as they took a seat together and watched the first six show choir groups. Finn smirked when he heard the present day New Directions give their performance, opting on Hanson's "MMMBop" for their 90's number. He'd hoped that the might catch Mr. Schuester before the end of the day, but for the time being he had to round up his students for their vocal warm-ups. He led them to the designated space where they weren't through their routine vocal preparations. A few of them practices a bit of their choreography and when it was just about time for them to perform, the group of eighteen circled up around their teacher. Finn adopted the New Directions' style of operating with co-captains, Wanda and Mario, and let them lead the group in a brief pep talk.

Wanda, a curvy African-American junior with an afro of thick, black ringlets was a no-nonsense kind of girl with a killer voice who often reminded Finn of a blend of Santana and Mercedes. She spoke first by saying, "Look, we made it this far and there's no reason for us to choke so just get out there and everyone do your thing. And remember…we got this!"

Her straightforward words had a good amount of her fellow club members smirking, and then all eyes went on Mario—a muscular Latino-American senior with his near-black crop of hair gelled in short spikes. He was still smirking from Wanda's words when he added, "Yeah we know the numbers front to back and we've performed in front of crowds before so…just do what we know how to do."

By now he knew his students weren't big on the cheesy cliché discussions, so they all seemed fairly assured by Wanda and Mario's words. Finn smiled like a proud parent and finished by saying, "Alright hands in everyone."

The students threw a hand in and after a count of three, they roared sharply, "YOU. KNOW!"

The MC for Nationals announced them as they positioned themselves on the stage. "Ladies and gentleman, coming all the way from Chicago, Illinois—the Lake View Chirrups!"

Shortly after the applause died down, Mario turned around and began to sing "All Star" by Smash Mouth.

After their opening number ended, the boys quickly exited the stage and Wanda and the girls performed Destiny's Child's "Say My Name". A few of girls took turns leading on the vocals while the others harmonized on back-up.

"Livin' La Vida Loca" by Ricky Martin was their closing number, as well as the most inclusive for showcasing the group's well-rounded talent. The upbeat melody highlighted their strongest dancers while the fun and wide range on vocals allowed several of their prominent singers to shine. The crowd was enthused by the brassy pop number and broke into a standing ovation by the conclusion.

Finn joined the audience in clapping profusely as he watched from the side of the stage. His students rushed over to where he was and he hugged many of them before they headed off to get water. In between transitions of the show choirs, he pulled out his phone to call Quinn, but as he did, he remembered his plan to call her after they found out what place the judges would give. No matter what the outcome, however, he was nothing but proud of his students' performance.

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_**Please leave reviews! And thank you everyone for all the reviews, story alerts, subscriptions, favorite stories, etc. I really am very grateful! :)**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Sorry for the lack of Fuinn in the previous chapter! I just wanted to show Finn's glee club at Nationals (and don't worry—you'll find out how The Chirrups did, soon). This chapter is very Quinn-focused and the chapter to follow will return to more Fuinn Fabrudson love. Enjoy!**_

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**August 2023**

It was a beautiful, warm day in Lima—Quinn and Finn's wedding day. Quinn's bridesmaids, along with her mother Judy were all fussing over her to help get her ready. Her matron of honor, Mercedes, was putting the final touches of make-up on her face while her second bridesmaid, Santana, freed another large ringlet of blond curls from the curling iron. Brittany offered to be a runner for Quinn, in between holding Sophia. Ander h mother was checking her veil and dress for the hundredth time.

"Oh Quinnie, dear—you're going to be a vision!" she cried. She walked over to pat her daughter's arm meaningfully and sighed, "I only wish your sister were here for this."

"Yes, so she can continue to berate me with questions on why I live the way I do," Quinn responded curtly. With her eyes closed for Mercedes, she made her voice unusually sweet and mocked her sister's slightly nasal voice, "'Quinn, why go into real estate? It's so boring! Quinn why are you moving to Chicago? You're too pretty to live in the Midwest your whole life. Quinn you've had 2 babies out of wedlock—don't you think it's about time you settled down already?'"

"Oh screw her!" Santana interrupted. She caught Judy's look of reproach for a moment but unapologetically went on to say, "You're not your sister's clone, Q. And the sooner she realizes it, the happier we'll all be…not that I care about your sister's happiness but I know how she's been towards you."

Quinn had a stony look of misery on her face now; she opened her eyes to see the female half of the bridal party all staring at her. When her eyes locked on her slumbering daughter, her features softened while Santana's words echoed in her mind. "_You're not your sister's clone_."

Truer words were never spoken. Once upon a time, Quinn did idolize her older sister, Marilyn, but things changed once Marilyn went off to college. On her visits home, she displayed high criticism towards Quinn. At first, it was over little things like why she didn't have a boyfriend. It seemed petty now, but at the time, Quinn's issues with her self-image made her take this question to heart. After pushing the re-vamp of her image even further, she found herself dating Finn Hudson by her Freshmen year in high school.

Next, Marilyn asked her why she wasn't pursuing head cheerleader 'like her big sis'. So before the start of her sophomore year, she tried out for the spot and beat out Santana for the position. Her sister continued to make passive aggressive remarks about Quinn's life and choices, driving a wedge between Quinn and then boyfriend Finn. She started to attack him for everything he did, until she put space between them and found comfort with wine coolers and Noah Puckerman—which led to her accidental pregnancy with Beth. She couldn't confide in her family, knowing their disapproval of her situation. Their judgments—most of all, her father and sister's—kept a heavy burden on Quinn, on top of her infidelity against the boy she truly cared for and grew to love.

After Judy and Russell Fabray divorced, Marilyn's critical eye over her sister only sharpened. Things came to a head prior to Quinn's senior year, following Finn dumping her for Rachel Berry. Marilyn came home for the summer, spewing disapproving comments about everything—from Quinn's new haircut, to her losing Finn to a "theatre freak". Her passive mother did next-to-nothing about the scolding remarks. Quinn reached her breaking point when she, once again, re-vamped her image and became a Skank.

Over ten years have passed and Quinn and Marilyn had never really reconciled. Rather, the two opted to speak to and see each other as little as possible. To appease her parents however, Quinn sent a wedding invitation to Marilyn. The elder Fabray sister hadn't responded, and there had been no complaints about this from Quinn.

"I'm going to check on things…see if there's anything I can do to help your friend, Kurt." Judy cast a nervous smile to her daughter and quickly left Quinn with her friends.

Quinn pursed her lips, feeling a mix of agitation and disappointment. Her mother almost never stuck up for her in the past; she didn't expect anything different now but that didn't mean that it didn't still sting.

Her bridesmaids must have noticed this because Mercedes spoke up, putting the final dabs of lip gloss on the bride's lips, "Alright enough of the 'blah' talk. Finn's gonna be waiting at the altar for you. Let's you in your dress!"

Quinn couldn't help but smile when Mercedes smiled at her; she had always been a good friend to her—near or distant—and more than that, though she had never spoken it aloud, Mercedes was more of a sister to her than Marilyn. For that, it was her main reason for making her Matron of Honor. She stood from her seat and rid herself of her robe while Santana and Mercedes prepared her gown for her.

After only a few seconds of waiting, she stepped into a petticoat first, and then she stepped into her gown. The brush of the fabric going up to her hips triggered a wave of happy anxiety that escalated with the rise of her zipper. She stood as still as possible with a confident look on her face. A photographer knocked twice and asked for permission to snag a few photos of the bride getting ready.

"As long as you stay outta the way, Paparazzi," snapped Santana. "We gotta finish getting her ready."

"I wish Lord Tubbington were here to help with security," Brittany mumbled sadly.

Santana frowned at her girlfriend and Mercedes and Quinn's brows came together in confusion.

"He was a great wedding planner. He helped me plan all my weddings for my Barbies when I was little."

Quinn fought the urge to smile; as nonsensical as some of Brittany's statements were, she knew how much her cat had meant to her. "It's alright Brittany. I'm sure he visited Kurt in his dreams to give him some ideas on decorating the chapel."

Brittany's sad expression vanished and was replaced with a bright smile. "Probably."

After the photographer took a few photos, she excused herself from the room and left the bride and her friends alone to finish getting ready. Quinn took a deep breath and sighed it out softly; after all the years she had known Finn, she didn't think she would feel nervous today, but she couldn't be more wrong. Her stomach was filled with butterflies; butterflies that were intent on being restless as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. But she also felt very princess-like; like Cinderella getting her happy start with her prince after years of struggle. Her hair was in large, lustrous curls, pinned out of her face with two miniature Tiger Lilies on either side of her head. Her dress—a wedding present from Tina Chang—was the epitome of princess gowns: a cream silk bodice with pearl button backing and ribbon-thin halter straps. At the waist, the dress plumed into a silk, billowing A-line skirt.

Her lips twitched into a smile, that spread once she saw Brittany and Santana lift her veil over her head. Brittany pulled half of the veil over the front of Quinn's face, as intended, while Santana adjusted the back to keep it from crushing the tiger lilies in her hair. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again, her hazel green eyes were seeing past the screen of the veil to gaze at her daughter. Mercedes had picked her up—carrying her down the aisle in lieu of a bouquet—and watched with a blissful smile as Sophia stirred from her nap.

She blinked heavily and stretched her tiny mouth for a yawn, and then quickly shut it, blinking up at Mercedes.

"Hey miss Flower Girl. You ready to watch Mommy and Daddy get married?" asked Mercedes.

Quinn laughed softly when her daughter babbled in response. "She's a little chatter box, Mercedes."

"I can tell," giggled Mercedes. "Which is why we're gonna get along_ just _fine."

Santana handed Brittany her bouquet of white roses and then held her own while handing Quinn her thick bouquet of white roses and tiger lilies. "Ready for this? It's not too late to

"Santana!" scolded Mercedes.

Quinn laughed softly and shook her head, "This is mine and Finn's moment. It's finally here, and I'm not going to miss a second of it."

Santana smirked, "Good. You passed my test. No hesitation in your voice or a trace of doubt on your face. Just that creepy happy bride glow."

The two friends smiled at each other and carefully hugged one another, and pulled apart as soon as Kurt entered the room.

"Alright, Quinn—ladies, it's three o'clock. Brittany, Santana, Mercedes—the guys are in the hallway waiting for you. Quinn?"

The bride looked to her soon-to-be brother-in-law. "You're gorgeous. Give Mercedes and me a moment to get to the altar so we can make sure Finn's still standing by the time you reach him."

She grinned and softly told him, "Thanks Kurt."

The best man and wedding planner flitted over to peck his niece's cheek, and then offered his arm for Mercedes to escort her out of the room. Soon, Quinn was alone; she took another deep breath while gazing in the mirror, gripped her bouquet tightly and followed her bridal party out to the hallway.

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_**Please leave me love! I'm always grateful to know your thoughts on the chapters! The next chapter will, of course, be in Finn's focus/POV. :)**_


	11. Chapter 11

**August 2023**

Finn adjusted his blood orange necktie in one of the church's Sunday school rooms. He couldn't quite get it right but hadn't thought to ask any of his groom's men for help, as they were all ready to go.

"I wanna see my godkid," Puck said behind him. "Are he and Rie-Rie* with Momma 'Cedes?"

"Nope. They're in the church with Mercedes' parents," answered Sam.

Finn turned around, exchanging glances between the two. Whenever he got nervous, he grew restless so he tried focusing on the conversation being carried on.

"You guys needa make a trip further south and see me more often."

Sam shrugged, "Mercedes is finishing up her album right now and I'm almost done with some scores for the _Wonder Woman _movie so…maybe we'll spend the twins' first Halloween in San Diego with their Uncle Puck."

Finn smirked, "You guys should come spend it here in Chicago with me and the girls."

Sam and Puck looked up at the groom, both wearing their own smirks.

"Yeah," Finn went on, "It'll be Sophia's first Halloween too and Quinn and I always go to Grant Park on Halloween. It's kinda cool."

He took his friend's reactions to mean that they were going to at least consider coming back to Illinois in October. But his mind didn't get a chance to linger too long on Halloween or Grant Park. Two knocks on the door made sure of that.

"Can we come in?" he heard his mom ask. "It's Kurt and I."

Finn smiled, "Yeah, Mom."

The door opened and Carole Hudson-Hummel slipped into the room, dressed in a peach-colored dress. She put her hand to her chest, torn between frowning and smiling at her son. As she crossed the room, noting the mess he made of his tie she said, "I'm really happy for you, Finn."

Kurt quietly interrupted by saying, "Puck, Sam we're ready to go."

The other two groomsmen made a discreet exit while Finn stood still, letting his mom expertly adjust his necktie.

"I know things didn't work out for you the first time you were doing this, but…" She looked him at him, smoothing down the shoulders of his white tux jacket. "If it counts, I have a good feeling about you and Quinn. A much better one than before, and…I see how happy and driven she makes you."

Finn's lips pulled up into a smile on one side, and then he bent down to hug his mom. "Thanks Mom. I feel happier already this time. And nervous but…it's a good nervous. And I'm glad you and Burt are here."

She reached up to cup both of his cheeks, "We wouldn't be anywhere else, baby. We love you. Both of you, or rather I should say, _all_ three of you." Her hands lowered but she took one of his in both of hers. "Come on."

Happily and anxiously, Finn escorted his mom out of the Sunday school room and together they trailed behind the three groomsmen. When they reached the church's main congregating space, Finn received a quick hug from Sam and Puck and then Kurt told him, "Well…here you are." He checked Finn over one final time, plucking away a loose thread and giving one tiny tug to his Tiger Lilly boutonnière. "I know it took a little while to get used to the idea of you and Quinn reuniting but…I want you to know that I _am_ happy for you both, and I want nothing but good things for you guys. _And_ my niece."

Finn smirked, "Thanks dude."

They hugged one another tightly but briefly—as Kurt didn't want their flowers ruined. "Alright, I have to go get the girls. Get up to the altar."

Finn nodded, exhaling all his air. He turned on his heels and entered the church, letting his eyes sweep over the decorated church and their small number of guests. As for their guests, his mom had already taken her seat in the front row of pews between her husband and Mercedes' Parents. Behind them were several of their mutual friends—mostly from their McKinley days, but also a couple of friends they had made already from living in Chicago. Quinn's parents sat on the other side with a couple of Quinn's cousins and some friends she had made during her years at Yale.

Kurt had kept things simple, as per Finn and Quinn's request, with his décor expertise. The ends of the pews were draped with pale orange mesh material, pinned by a small bunch of Tiger Lilies and white roses. The arch at the end of the white runner was braided with a variety of flowers, but most were the themed Tiger Lilies and white roses.

When he reached the end of the aisle runner, Finn shook the pastor's hand and then faced the back of the church with one hand clapped over the opposing limb's wrist. The instrumental music that had once been playing, faded to silence, cueing all attendees that the ceremony was about to begin.

Finn drew in one more deep, noiseless breath and slowly released it as the church's speakers began to fill with Lonestar's "Amazed". After the piano intro passed, Sam and Brittany entered the church, linked at the arm. As they reached the altar and Brittany walked over to his right and Sam joined him at his far left, Puck and Santana walked down the aisle next. They broke off and Puck patted Finn's shoulder on his way to stand beside Sam.

Finn's lips curled up in a wide smile when Mercedes and Kurt emerged. His eyes briefly acknowledged his brother-in-law and his friend, mostly because his eight month-old daughter had her big hazel-green eyes fixed in his direction. His smile grew when one appeared on her face, the closer she got to him. When Mercedes walked over to his right, Finn saw Sophia prepare to cry. He quickly reached out for his daughter and Mercedes graciously handed the tiny flower girl over.

He nuzzled her cheek, but looked up just in time to have his breath taken away by his bride. The guests stood up and Finn's smile fell into one of absolutely contentment as Quinn slowly trekked up the aisle in her gown. She looked flawless, and most important to Finn, she looked genuinely happy. She had a small smile on her face that slowly grew as she got closer to him. His heart was hammering inside his chest and for a split second he thought for sure that everyone could hear it. He swallowed hard as he held Sophia a little bit tighter. Without taking his eyes off of his future wife, he whispered to his little girl, "That's what angels look like, Sophie."

Out of his peripheral vision, he saw Mercedes' smile grow from what he whispered.

As Quinn reached the floral arc above them, the music faded and the pastor invited everyone to sit back down. Finn turned to face her and winked at Quinn. It felt like his smile might permanently be stuck to his face, no matter how hard he tried to calm it down. But he felt like Quinn was radiating an inexplicable feeling that you couldn't help but smile from. She was a vision everyday, but today was exceptional of any other time he had seen her. And he was so thankful to be part of the cause behind her glow.

_**Please leave reviews! The wedding ceremony will wrap up in Quinn's POV! :)**_

_**A/N: *Puck's "Rie-Rie" nickname is a reference to my Samcedes "Flash Forward" family. Their eldest daughter's name is Ariesa [uh-ree-suh]. Puck's the godfather to her twin brother, Dante.**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N: This is the final chapter for this fic. I lost my motivation to continue on with this fic and I don't want to get anyone's hopes up by thinking that this is going anywhere anymore. It was fun while it lasted and perhaps this Fuinn couple will appear in future fics of mine, but for now, I bid their story adieu. Enjoy!**_

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Quinn stood at the rear of the small procession of her friends, waiting for her turn to enter the church. She clutched her thick bouquet and closed her eyes; it was moments like these where she wished she were on better terms with her dad. He should have been escorting her down the aisle—letting her feel calmed by his mere presence as she was handed off to her future husband. Instead, her father was possibly inside the church, pretending to be amiable in a seat beside her mother. She didn't know if he had shown or not but she was without a doubt nervous.

As Brittany and Sam disappeared through the doors Quinn drew in a deep breath and opened her eyes to see Mercedes and Sophia staring at her. Quinn's unnerved grimace vanished as soon as her daughter smiled from over Mercedes' shoulder.

"You doing okay, Quinn?" asked Mercedes.

Kurt looked back now too and placed a friendly hand on Quinn's shoulder, "If you're nervous, just keep your eyes on Finn and remember to breathe deep, slow breaths."

"Trust me," Mercedes placed her free hand on Quinn's wrist and quietly added, "he gave me the same advice on my wedding day and it really helped get me down the aisle."

Quinn cast them her classic smirk and nodded twice, not trusting her voice to betray her with a nervous crack.

Santana and Puck had gone in and Kurt and Mercedes had let her go to take their place at the open double doors. Quinn rolled her shoulders back once to give herself a more poised stance, even though her insides felt hollowed out and filled with butterflies. She already started on Kurt and Mercedes' advice as the two went inside the church with Sophia. She closed her eyes one more time, drawing one deep breathing her nose and slowly exhaling it out of her mouth. When she resumed breathing normally, her eyes open and she realized it was her time to enter the church.

Quinn stepped into the view of her standing guests and her future husband. Right away, her once anxious grimace was gone and her eyes went to Finn. She smiled brightly, being only vaguely aware of the people staring at her as she came up the aisle. She couldn't help the width of her smile whenever Finn was holding their daughter. The tiny, chubby-faced babe smiled back, making Quinn's heart swell. Her daughter's innocence washed her over with the purest joy; in that moment, Quinn could not have felt happier.

She reached the altar and pressed a kiss to Sophia's cheek as the music faded to silence. The pastor invited the guests to resume sitting again. Quinn's nerves were calmed by Sophia's interaction with Finn. She was staring with hard-fixed concentration on her daddy's boutonnière, and reached her tiny hand out to squeeze the bud.

"Dearly beloved, we're gathered here today to bear witness to the union of Lucy Quinn Fabray and Finn Christopher Hudson. If anyone objects to their marriage, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

For what felt like a millennia, Mercedes held her breath; she had a slightly irrational fear that either Rachel or Marilyn would show up and destroy one of the most important days of her life. But as the pastor went on, Quinn calmed herself down again, reminding herself to breathe once more.

"Before the exchanging of vows, Finn and Quinn have a few things they would like to say to one another."

Finn was nodded to by the pastor and Quinn locked her gaze on his face until his coffee-colored hues met hers. "Quinn…you and I…I know we haven't had the perfect relationship like we once thought we had, but…I wouldn't trade our journey for anything. Because trading all the strife, and time apart might've meant that we wouldn't be standing here today, ready for forever together. It might've meant you and I wouldn't have the greatest thing right here." He lowered his gaze to Sophia while lightly bouncing her up and down in his arms. "So…even though it took us a while to find our way back to each other, I just want you to know…that I love you, now more than ever, and I can't wait to be your husband."

Quinn wondered if she might cry from the words leaving Finn's mouth. She had known him for typically being a little off-beat when he wasn't taking charge of a situation—which she usually found endearing or occasionally frustrating. But his words were calmly and clearly-spoken, and he wore an adoring smile at the end of delivering them.

The room fell silent again, telling Quinn that it was her turn to speak. She had forgotten what she was going to say for a moment but somehow, in Finn's eyes she found her words again. "Finn…" she glanced down for a brief, shameful moment as she said, "I know that back in high school, I wasn't the best girlfriend to you all the time. And every day now I do my best to try and make up for my mistakes because…you wanted to give me another chance, and I was..so happy that we were going to give us another chance. It's something that I pray and hope we'll never have to wonder about or go through again. Finn, you're amazing. You always put Sophia and I first; you pass on the joy and passion that glee club gave us, to your students. And you put so much heart into everything you commit to. That's why I know…between the two of us, I'm the one lucking out in this marriage." The tears that were forming during his speech, now made themselves known and slowly trickled down her face. Quinn pursed her lips during her attempt to steel herself. But she smiled and breathed, "I love you, Finn."

She saw him quickly run his thumb and index across his closed eyelids and when his hand lowered away and he opened his eyes again, both pairs were faintly pink, and misty-eyed.

The pastory smiled softly at them and quietyly said, "The rings?"

Finn and Quinn were handed their bands and as Quinn handed her large bouquet back to Mercedes, the pastor told them, "Finn, do you take Lucy Quinn to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love, honor and cherish in sickness and in health from this day forward?"

Her dark green hues watched him restlessly until she heard him say, "I do."

A new weight surrounded her left ring finger after he gently secured it there.

"And do you, Lucy Quinn take Finn to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love, honor and cherish in sickness and in health from this day forward?"

Quinn was casting her signature faint smile, for the sake of trying to contain her desire for a wide smile. "I do," she replied.

Her gaze lowered to Finn's trembling hand as she slid his white gold band around his left finger. Both of her hands gingerly sandwiched his trembling one through the end of the ceremony.

"Then by the power vested in me, and the state of Ohio, I now pronounce you husband and wife."

Finn barely waited for the pastor to say, "You may kiss the bride," before he leaned in and stole her lips with his pair. Quinn's heart fluttered as it often did from his kisses. She kept her hands over his and slowly lowered their hands to her side.

The applauding guests, the closing ceremony song, the flashes of light bulbs—none of what was going on around her strong enough for her to divert her attention from her new husband and their baby girl. It was a new day, and a family with unconditional love was something she truly looked forward to embrace for the rest of her days.

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_**Please leave reviews!**_


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